Motor-control system.



E. J. MURPHY & J. E. BROBST.

MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20,1912.

11,077,737, Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

JJSZYENTDHS .EDWJN L7 MURPHY, L70 N E .BHUBE'T,

151 I J Q a H THEIR Tz'aRirEy.

quickly at a time when the field of the motor hold the switch open. hen, therefore, the

" In an application of John E. Brobst,

UNITED stra'rns PATENT o rricn.

EDWIN J. MURPHY AND JOHN E. BROBST, OI? SCHENEC'IYADY, NEW YORK. ASSIGNORS T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMIAN Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MOTOR-CONTROL sYs'rniu.

1,077,737. Specification of Letters latent. Patented N 4, 1913 Aiiplication filed June as, 1512. Serial no. 704,746.

lay which when closed changes the dynamic braking conditions. This switch is energized when the dynamic braking circuit is closed but is prevented from closing until' the field @current has reached a predetermined value. This holding out device preferably comprises twouopposing or ditlerential windings, one of which is connected across the supply circuit so as to have a substantially constant pull, while the other is connected in series with the motor field and the field resistance. The arrangement is suclnthat the two windings will have equal and opposite efiects when the field current reaches a predetermined value and therefore permit the electromagnetic switch to close,' quickly and safely. I whereas when the current is below a prede- In the control of electric moto'rs it is he termined value the winding connected across quent-ly desirable to bring the motor to rest the supply circuit will predominate and T 0 aZZ whom it may conce'm:

Be it knowd that we,-EDwI'N J. MUiirHY and J OHN E. Bnons'r, citizensot' the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the 5 county of Schenectady, State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvetnents in Motor-Control Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the control of 10 electric motors and has for its object the provision of means whereby an electric motor may be started, stopped and generally con:

I trolled in a reliable and efiicien't manner.

. Our invention relates" more specifically to 15 the control of motors by what is known as 1 dynamic braking so as to bring them to rest field current has reached the predetermined value at which the dynamic braking current can be safely increased, the electromagnetic switch will operate to bring about an increase of current in thearmature circuit up to the limit of commutation in the motor. There are two well known methods of dynamic braking, one of which involves the return of energy to the'line, known as the pumping back onto the line, While the other involves cutting off the motor armaturefrom the line and short circuiting it through a resistance. In this particular instance we have illustrated our invention in connection with the latter method of braking but our invention is in no sense limited to this particular type or method of braking.

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated our invention in connection with a reversible motor control system for elecis relatively weak. This is frequently true of motors which must be quickly reversed, as, for instance, iii the case of electrically driven planers and the like, although this condition is quite as apt to arise in connection with a non-reversible motor. It has been found that if the motor is stopped or retarded by dynamic braking, in this condition of weakened field, sparking at the commutator will result if the brakin current is permitted tobecome too high. While it is customary to cut out the field resistance at the time the dynamic brake is applied, the field does not recover its full strength immediately owing to the inductive effect of the field circuit. It has been found that if the dynamic braking current is permitted to increase only as the field strength goes up sparking at the commutator can be avoided.

rial No. caaosv, filed April 24, i912, and

assigned to the same assign'e'e as this invcntion, there is descr bed and claimed means whereby the dynamic braking-current is controlled and graduated to the strength of the field. In the particular disclosure therein a relay is provided which operates when the predetermined field strength is reached and the necessary changcs inconnection with increase of dynamic braking'current are accomplish'ed- In carrying out our invention we provide improved means for bringing about this result. Thisimprovementconsistsbroadly in providing an electromagnetic switch or retric planer drives or the like, but it should be understood that our invention is equally applicable to other systems of control.

Referring to the drawing which shows 5 diagrammatically one embodiment of our invention, A represents the armature and F the shunt field of an electric motor for driving a planer or the like. The direction of rotation is controlled by four electromagnetic switches or contactors, two for can: direction of rotation. Two of these switches are designated as C and C tively, since they connect the motor t respecor dr1v-- 'ing the planer in the forward or cutting motor.

direction, while the other two switches are designated it and R, for driving the planer in the opposite or return direction. These four switches are "controlled by a mas ter switch S. In the drawing the parts are shown in the positions assumed when the main line is deenergized. When the switch S is in the position shown in the drawing '"lClthG line is energized, the windings of current is high hut will close when the current'-" decreases to a predetermined value. Such a relay is described and claimed in the pending application of Edwin J. Murphy, Serial No. 608,652, filed February 15th, 1911. With this form of contactor the result is that when the circuit is first closed through resistance D, the switch 10 will not close until the current drops to a predetermined value by the speeding up of the motor arnia ture. When, therefore, the motor starts and reaches a predetermlned speed the contactor '10 will close to cut out the starting resist.

ance D. F or varying the speed of the motor we have provided two rheos'tats, one of which comprisesa resistance a", which is regulated by a lever 11, while the other comprises a resistance 1", regulated by the lever 12. When the rnotor is started, and in fact whenever the switch 10 is open, 'hhth the resistances r and r are short circuited through the wire 13 and the switch 14, which is spring closed. When, however, the switch 10 closes, the circuit through the wire 18 is opened at switch let. lVhen, therefore, the switch 10 is closed and the master switch is in the position shown in the drawing, that is, in the return position, all of the resistance r and a portion of the resistance r the amount of which will depend upon the position or" the lever 12, will be connected in the field circuit of the When the master switch is moved to the opposite position only a portion of the resistance r depending upon the position of lever 11 will be in series with the motor field.

In order to bring the motor armature to rest quickly we have provided a braking re sistance through which the motor armature is short circuited. This braking resistance is divided into two sections BR and BR. The object of these twd sections of resistance is to graduate the clvnamic braking current r, I, in accordance with tne field strength, reams,

to gradually increase the brakin current a [1 J the field strength builds up; "J'QT l connected in. eerie-- 'provided for holdi 'n' the contactor tightly nos "7,737

the dynamic hralzing connections wc provide the contactor This contactor is hon inally held closedhy a spring 15. T he winding oi this contactor is connectedaci-oss the armature of the motor so that while the inotor is operated the winding tends to hold it closed. The contactor is liliei'viso provided with a series winding 16 which is not energized until the contactor is closed, but which holds the contactorv closed until the armature has to rotate. The live contactors 1%, it, C, C and B being arr nged as shown in the drawing, we provide four mechanical interlocks 17, i8, 19 and 20, cooperating with the contac s so as to compol operation in a predeter fined manner. The particular construction of these int rloclrs forms no part of our invention but tor purposes of illustration shown bars pivoted at their middle points, the ends of each bar being engaged by upwardly pro jecting stems of two adjacent contactors in the closed position. instance, when the h or contactor C closes the interlocking her 17 will be turned so as to prevent the contaetor it from closing. Lihewise, when the contactor it is closed the interlocking hare 1'? an ;l.18 prevent the contactors C and C from closing. il hile the contactor B is closed by a spring this spring need not necessarily he sees to apply any great tension upon the cont-actor since electromagnetic means are closed. One obiect Es having the con toi spring-closed is to insure that the dyn, nic brake is always applied when the controller is in the oh position. KIhc springis ofsucli a strength that it will move the contactor to closed position but it will also allow the cont-actor to be opened by either of the interloclring bars 19 and 20. in other W01 .4 when either the cont-actor 11 or the contactor B is forced open by one of the interlocking bars 20 or 1.9, respectively, but neither of these contactors R or C will close when energized until. the magnetic force holding the brake conta tor closed is reduced substantially to zero. Both oi the contactors R and C are provided with windin, ll and 22, respectively, comiected across L16 armature in series with the winding of coutactor B for holding those contactors in. open position until the motor ari'nature has come substantially to rest. These windings are merely an additional precaution, since the lay the 1neis short cu- 1 switch or c n which ature and liereforeclose immediaiely-upon 11G closin previde, an "electromagnetic \"l consists of energizing winclings i tacterfl; so t lasfivien Llie core is he l;

has fiwo energizing Wind? the brake "resistanee when motor is closed. This suntan-ten 2';

(if the brake eentnctor and sn Seciion BE; of the reel resinainezl. in exile? fie prev-e in v 01 this eentac'ternntil the finial l\ s wine I reachecla; predetermined value fellow t" e cont-eater R sher'fi eircuiting of the field esi s banee, we 1", iresisian L hoklin g illie eonteqfier open;

' agains the 26 seemed to nrnjeeeio-n 2? on the c0ntecte1= will be held open i The core which are clifierentiel er 0p i so that when equally and sync-en ized thev will'neu 'rel e each permit the contusion 212120 also these Windings'28 is connected in sri" W the fi ld F W *ile the cine nectecl directly enress i The latter winding will l e substanb'ially constant pull while the S'x in? 90 the field is nearlyfull sir i eppos'ite to that 0;? inc Win cbniecter 24 Wlll close, but w clown of the armature, the

the former'winding will very Witn. current. These Win(lings are s tiened and arranged theft Wien il rent LPPIORClBGS a, maximum,

ll new e through the W cluctor ing fume of winding 2'5 Week the contzicter will not close since u this cenclitior the wniling 29 the winaling 28. When the has beceme suiilciently s3, eng taster 2 2 cleses and. cuts en l; UM inn of the brake resistance sn as is in =='e braking current. Vi e also pie-vile another contact or 3 3 for unitingout the other sectionof brake resistance B'R, This centactm We have also-shown as of the same type as contecior 10, a, a1, ene which n0 elese when the current high but Win. close when the current falls'to n preiletei'minecl Tilh.

The Winding of the centacier is cennemed ,in circuit by the closing ef con'mcter E l. hen the braking enri eni, decreases fie geth-r sill sufiiciently low value due has been s Jliil glose and short circuit all sieinnce, thereby bringing tini0 nest. fi e have elien'n 30 as of the particular type d SCQl for purposes of illnstretien, but acloses eont Crier C ewise held K well known means. fer causing the delay in the interlocking; bar 19. The evening of the the cutting out of the last section of re st cent-asters an E disconnects the meter mice may be en: qloyed Without Sienna" in an the and the closing of cenmeier from the spirit 0 our invention. armeture in a, dos The mocle 0 1* operation bf eur sys' series com'mnt: thus construeted end airrangecl is siance BR, win lows: Assuming that the switch 55 he l S sisaenw BPf moved mthe position shown in mafia P 0f contacion 4 ing, an, for instance, by the mevemeni ef the cement rs R and E the motor speeds up the contactor the series contacter' l0 which opens to insert the resistance 1) for the return stroke and also allows the switch 1% to close and strengthen the field by short circuiting the field resistances r and 1*. The field circuit will now be from the positive side of the line through the winding 28, field F, conductor 13, switch 14, to the negative side of the line. i. The field, however, does not build up immediately, and the contactor 24: is therefore held open by reason of the fact that the winding 29 of the holding-out device overpower-s the winding 28. The braking current is therefore relatively low, since the two sections of bra-king resistance are in circuit and no sparking at the commutator will result ddhen. however, the field builds up suliiciently the winding 28 will be sutiiciently energized to counteract the etiect of the winding 29 and the core 26 will be released, thereby permitting the contactor 24 to be closed by its winding 2. This occurs when the field has reached a predeten mined strength which is near the maximum, so that the braking current may be co-nsid erably increased without sparking at commutator. The cutting out of the resistance BR increases th 'br'aking current up to the limit of 'ation thereby avoiding sparking and slows the motor down. As the motor slows down the braking current decreases and finally closes the contactor 30 to short circuit resistance B'R which completes the short circuit on the armature and brings the motor to rest or substantially so. It is obvious, of course, that the motor could be brought to rest without the cutting out the section, B'R and in that case the contactor 30 would be it When the motor is practicaliy v old ng out winding 22 Will oecorn stantially denerglzed as Wlll also ti ingot the brake contactor which rise with the winding 22. The win-d winch holds the brake contactor clo will now open the contact The two contactors C and C being now closed the motor will start in the reverse direction at full field strength and with the resistance D in series with the motor armature. As-

10 will again close to short-circuit the resistance D and open the switch llto insert the field resistance. The field circuit will "now be through only a portion of the resistance-r determined by the position of the lever i=1.

At the end of'thestrokethe switchSwill' be again ope 'ated to open the cohta'ctors C and C and close the brake contact.

through the two sections of braking resist- In a. similar manner the braking will take'plas' tion after another will be cut out until he motor armature has stopped.

it will be seen that we have provided a simple and eii'ective arrangement whereby the operation of the electromagnetic switch controlling the braking current is made dependent upon the field strength. While we have shown our invention as embodiedun concrete form and as o-peratmg in a specific manner in accordance with the patent statutes, it should be understood that we do not desire to limit our invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will. suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims."

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination of a resistance in the field circuit thereof during normal operation, means for short circuiting said resistance and simultaneously causing said motor to act as a generator and generate a dynamic braking current to retard the motor armature, and an electromagnetic device for controlling the dynamic braking current having difi'erential actuating windings one of which is connected across the supply other in series withthe motor field so as to counteract each other when the field reaches substantially full strength.

2. The combination with anelectr c motor, of a resistance in the field circuit thereoi during normal operation, means for short circuiting said resistance and simultaneously causing said motor to act as a generator to generate a dynamic braking current to retard the motor armature, an

electromagnetic switch for increasing the braking current when closed arranged to be energized upon the closing of the braking circuit, and means for preventing the closing of said switch until the field current l10 reaches the predetermined value.

3. The combmation with an electric motor,

resistance in the field circuit thereof during normal operation, a brake resistance, means whereby the motor armature is through the brake resistance short circuited to generat on dynamic braking current'and the field resistance simultaneously short circuited, and an electromagnetic device for oontrollingthe dynamic braking current having differentialactuatingwindings one of which is connected across the supply circuit and" the other in series with the motor -fieldso as tocounteract each: other when thefield reaches substantially full strength. 1%

4-. The combination .with an 'electric 'mctor, of a resistance in the field circuitthereof during normal operation a brake circuit and the 95 with an electric motor, 8 5

ture is short circuited through the brake- .resistance to generate a dynamic braking current and the field resistance simultaneously short circuited, an electromagnetic switch vforcontrolling the braking current arranged to be energized upon the closing of the braking-circuit, and an electromag netic device for preventing the switch from closing until the field current reaches a predetermined value, said device having differential actuating windings which counteract each otherwhen the field reaches substantially full strength, one of said Windings being connectedacross-the supply circuit and the other in serieswith the motor field.

6. The combination with an electric motor,

of a resistance in the field circuit thereof during normal operation, a brakeresistance, means whereby the motor armature is short circuited through the brake resistance to generate a dynamic braking current and the field resistance, simultaneously short circuited, an electromagnetic switch arranged to short circuit a section of said brake resistance when closed, and an electromagnetic device for preventing the closure of said switch having differential actuating windings one of which is connected across the supply circuit and the other in series with the motor field so as to counteract each other i when the field reaches substantially full strength.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands this 18th day of June 1912.

EDXVIN J. MURPHY. JOHN E. BROBST.

Witnesses v HELEN Onronn R. G. PovEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G, 

